Suggestions need suggestions on walnut sign

[ronnierozier2]

hello all! First post here. I am relatively new at sign making and looking for suggestions and advice on making this sign look good. I have been asked to carve a 20"x50" sign from Solid Walnut. Attached is a small carving I did on the CNC on a scrap piece of walnut to show the customer what the larger sign would look like. see attached image

The customer loves the walnut but was curious what my plan is to make the letters pop so they can been seen. Can some of you professionals suggest some ideas on how to finish this sign please. Any and all suggestions are appreciated

 

[Gino]

It's called paint. Prior planning will determine what gets what color. Ask you customer, if they have any preferances. Then, figure out the balance from there and offer suggestions.

 

[visual800]

I would paint the faces of the lettering a light beige, it would stand out without being intrusive

 

[fixtureman]

I think I would do inset the letters about 1/16 to register insert letters out of a light color wood like maple. That would keep it all wood and really stand out. If you intend to paint I would paint the piece first and then route it.

 

[Johnny Best]

This must be going into an office environment. I would use a darker stain on the copy and leave the background as is and use good varnish, or two part clear over the entire thing. I prefer Tung oil over varnish finishes.

 

[rjssigns]

Gilded letters would look great, just sayin'...

 

[Rick]

Like mentioned before, inset the lettering and paint or

I get having a single piece of wood and routing it, but tool marks are not all that pleasing.

I would use a walnut backer
Frame in walnut
Purchase custom dimensional letters (maybe stainless or brushed aluminum?) and rule lines and attach to face... cleaner face and install
Maybe add some subtle pinstripe around the outer frame?

 

[Billct2]

Gold leaf for the letters would be my choice. Or a dark stain on either the background or the copy. The difficulty is keeping the stain/leaf where you want it. For leaf or paint I would seal & clear coat the whole thing first.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Johnny, in my opinion, has the best suggestion. Gilded letters would also look nice, but a nice dark finish contrasting with the natural wood is going to look "best" for most people. I would also do the raised border.

 

[JTBoh]

Rout inset 1/16" from edges of letters, and .0625 deep. Rout 0.040" brushed aluminum inserts and bond.

 

[TimToad]

I like the idea of keeping it real simple and understated, but you should share more details about where its being installed and any preferences your client has expressed.

If you are going to "pocket" separately cut letters from a lighter colored wood and glue them in make sure you use a species that is about the same hardness as the walnut, like a white oak, ash or maple. Softer woods will expand and contract far more than the walnut and the letters could pop out or shrink.

 

[ronnierozier2]

The sign will be outside but out of direct sunlight and the elements. It will be at his law office entrance under a covered awning. He likes how the walnut looks and the raised letters. I like all the ideas proposed so far but he is wanting to keep this real simple and the budget for the sign expresses that also. I just want to make sure the letters can be seen from lets say 30 feet away from the road. I am going to attach a print copy of the current logo so you can get an idea of the current colors used in his logo. I'm more of a tech kind of guy and mainly make parts and what not but i keep getting asked to make signs so I figured what the heck why not try something simple to begin with.

 

[Billct2]

Walnut is not a good material for an outside sign. I have made many wood signs over the years and have had good luck making them last with 2 part marine varnish, but it is still risky. Also, what's the point of using a material like this for an exterior sign that has to be legible from 30 feet? Especially if you have to paint it to make it legible anyhow. I'd suggest he do something a little more durable outside and save the walnut for an interior sign.

 

[Johnny Best]

Walnut will hold up outside under an awning out of the sun and rain, if you apply the right finish. Good stains, either a Spar varnish mixed with 100% tung oil (about 5 coats, sanding between coats). Or an AwlGrip 2 part mix clear (marine finish, about 3 coats) over the stain after good and dry. If you put the AwlGrip on you can always come back and put color on the letters.
The walnut wood sign just plain without all the extra dressings, metal letters, paint, inlays etc, would be beautiful.

 

[ronnierozier2]

what would you suggest for an outdoor sign?

 

[rossmosh]

If this is outside, do not use walnut. It will require regular care to keep in good condition and there's about a 0% chance they'll do that. If wood is a must, use Redwood or Cedar. Otherwise go with either PVC or HDU for that style of sign. Generally speaking, the market has moved away from wood to synthetics because of their durability, consistency, and ease of use relative to cost.

Attached is a way to make this sign out of a single 4x8 sheet of material. Should take about 1 hour on the router (maybe less). Construction is fairly straight forward as well and finishing should be really simple also. 1/2" exterior grade PVC should do the job in this case. You can even buy stuff from Home Depot with a wood grain for about $80 a sheet. If you have a little skill with a paint brush you should be able to put on a better than decent faux finish if that's really what the client wants.

 

[ronnierozier2]

thanks for the information. can you post a link of the home depot product you are talking about please?

 

[visual800]

I would do HDU or ROUTED PVC for outside and besides those colors on that logo would not have looked good on the walnut.

 

[ronnierozier2]

i agree those colors would look horrible on walut

 

[Gino]

Are you gonna be gluing this together ?? The wood should be seasoned. You don't want wood that still has a lot of moisture in it. When gluing it, you should biscuit the joints. As mentioned, walnut will be fine for this type of sign. It's a good hardwood and will do quite well. For CNC machines, it's better on hardwoods, than soft woods like redwood, cedar, fir and so on.

I too, think a good stain for the letters, good rubbing oils and several coats of varnish will be your best look. Please do not add those colors to it. That would be like polishing a turd. Solid wood, with the right stains and clears will have an understated elegance. You won't get that from pvc or some of these other substrates discussed.

Back in the 80s and 90s we did quite a few sandblasted signs and some carved...... now, it's the other way around.